Hearing Aid Recommendation

[tutan]

I retired from Audiology in 2011. Back then, Cochlear Implants are limited and suited for severe, profound hearing loss (near deaf) vs the typical mild-moderate loss that seniors most experience.

I have looked into this recently. It used to be prescribed for loss in both ears but now one sided loss is also indicated. And the younger you get the implant the easier your brain learns to hear in the new way.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I have looked into this recently. It used to be prescribed for loss in both ears but now one sided loss is also indicated. And the younger you get the implant the easier your brain learns to hear in the new way.

Good marketing I guess. True indeed with the younger and brain adjustment. There was some controversy on too young as the skull is not full developed. There may be a work around since then.

 

[georgemoe]

I got the Jabra Enhance 700 a few months ago. You do an online hearing test and the aids are preprogrammed. As mentioned earlier they do an online call with you to go over things. They have worked well for me vs previous aids I had purchased. Love the app and how phone calls go direct to the aids and not my phone. Game changer. I purchased for $2,000. A week later the price dropped $200 and they honored the price drop. I also decided I needed longer wires ($75) and they shipped them for free. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[DuluthGA]

+1 for Jabra. I got a year ago. They also offer an easy return if you don’t like them. My advantage plan paid $1k so my net OOP was $500.
I really like the way they handle support. They replaced one of mine that was cutting in/out, have sent longer wires for my big head, zoom calls when needed

 

[Pluperfect]

One of her joys was going to lunch with her friends. Now she doesn't go because most restaurants are noisy and she can't hear in a group of people. She gets so frustrated that she doesn't want to go unless it is one on one.

I first started using hearing aids when I was about 30 years old. I've had about 35 years of experience with them, starting with the kind that only made things louder and moving through the newer technology.

My experience is that the hearing aid companies over-promise on being able to hear speech in noisy situations, for reasons similar to why active noise cancelling headphones don't work with a dog barking. It seems like they WOULD work for barking, but the technology simply doesn't allow it.

I'm sure one day we'll get there with hearing aids, but in the meantime, we're told our hearing aids will quiet every sound in the place except the one we want to hear, and when it doesn't work, we feel like we're the ones who failed.

Socializing in restaurants is tricky. And I'll point out that women's voices tend to fall in the higher frequencies, which is where a lot of age-related hearing loss lies. So if it's groups of women she's lunching with, it makes it even harder.

I'm strategic about where I sit when I'm in a group. Especially with people I know well, I know who can sit a little farther away and I can still hear them okay because of how their voice carries. If it's people I don't know well, then I just do whatever and accept the fact that I'm not going to hear every word.

I suppose the good news is that if if your wife is lunching with a bunch of women her age, then a good chunk of them probably have trouble hearing and might be sympathetic.

All that said, I'll point out that people can usually get hearings aids to work well enough for watching TV, and usually being face-to-face isn't necessary, so that might be unique to your wife, and might bear checking into with an ear doctor.

However, what exactly is not "face-to-face" to you? If you're in another room, that can be challenging even with hearing aids. If you're across the room and have your back to her, then your voice is projecting away from her. And if she's been struggling for some time, she may read lips more than either of you realizes, and has unconsciously become reliant on it.

One thing wearing masks during Covid taught us was that a lot of people read lips, or at least use the lower half of people's faces to help them understand what someone is saying.

One place I struggle is when my boyfriend wants to say something to me out of the blue. He's learning to start with "hey" or something like that to alert me that a stream of words is about to come at me, so I can be prepared to start listening. It makes a world of difference. Having to use your brain to figure out what those first words were that you missed, while simultaneously listening to the current words, is a massive amount of work. All of which is performed invisibly, which is why I have to hammer on him to lend a hand in helping me avoid having to do that.

Is there a reason your wife is going to True Hearing? I know they're the hearing aid provider for some Advantage plans, and they're who my supplement uses for the hearing aid benefit in their "wellness extras." The one I went to was in an H-E-B grocery store, which didn't instill the greatest amount of confidence. But I just got a hearing test, no hearing aid fitting.

But my boyfriend's mother had a mobile person with True Hearing come to her independent living facility to fit hearing aids, and she's very very happy with them.

As for Costco, I've had varying degrees of success with them. I've had two fantastic audiologists there (in different states), and some so-so ones.

So it might be worth it for your wife to try a different audiologist. If she's not happy with what she has now, there's no reason to stick with it.

But I think the most important advice is for people getting hearing aids, especially for tricky situations, to manage their expectations. And once you're realistic about what can be done, then keep at it until they work how you want them to.

 

[bbqcoder]

Now she doesn't go because most restaurants are noisy and she can't hear in a group of people. She gets so frustrated that she doesn't want to go unless it is one on one. She is 73 and has had hearing aids six years.

Does she wear the hearing aids all the time or some of the time? Some hearing aids do have "restaurant" mode that might help in this sort of situation. I've been wearing hearing aids for most of my life. As an experienced wearer, I still have to make adjustments when getting new aids. They do sound "funny" for a week or so until your brain/ears get used to the new sound. Then it sounds normal. If you only wear them occasionally, you'll never get used to them.

However, what exactly is not "face-to-face" to you? If you're in another room, that can be challenging even with hearing aids. If you're across the room and have your back to her, then your voice is projecting away from her. And if she's been struggling for some time, she may read lips more than either of you realizes, and has unconsciously become reliant on it.

One thing wearing masks during Covid taught us was that a lot of people read lips, or at least use the lower half of people's faces to help them understand what someone is saying.

One place I struggle is when my boyfriend wants to say something to me out of the blue. He's learning to start with "hey" or something like that to alert me that a stream of words is about to come at me, so I can be prepared to start listening. It makes a world of difference. Having to use your brain to figure out what those first words were that you missed, while simultaneously listening to the current words, is a massive amount of work. All of which is performed invisibly, which is why I have to hammer on him to lend a hand in helping me avoid having to do that.

Great advice! I've been with my wife for almost 30 years and she still hasn't learned that she needs to stop trying to converse with me from another room. Also speaking louder doesn't mean that I'll understand things. I agree that sometimes you're not paying attention and you miss words. So true.

 

[pollyanna]

I have Oticon and they are great! There's an app on my phone to set up equalization just like a mixing console if I want to get into it, as well as 'modes' I can select either through the app or from the aid itself. For example; there are modes for human speech, noisy environments, music, driving, etc. Driving cancels out the road noise like tires and other sounds that one hears when driving down the freeway, while still fully hearing the radio and passengers as well as other outside sounds that are not just 'noise'. For crowded restaurants, I need to look at the person and aim both ears. The internal processor cancels out sounds that are not equal to both hearing aids so the person I'm listening to comes through clearly. I did this last at a Christmas family dinner out at a restaurant with 14 of us at the table. I could hear not only conversations I was having, but I could 'eavesdrop' in down the table by aiming my ears in the direction I wanted to hear and the aids would mute, not completely, but reduced all the other noises that were not equal to each ear. Music mode is simply a graphic equalizer. I can also turn up or down in 3db steps if I want. In a quiet room, I don't want to hear every scooting chair, say, in a library, but I do want to hear a whisper from the person I'm studying with. I bump down the level maybe 6 or 9db and I hear the near person fine, none of the ambient noise. At night, I go outside and crank them full. Crickets sound like an invasion of godzilla-sized insects. Great to hear what someone is saying long distances away in the dark. Some movie theaters offer bluetooth connection to listen to the movie though my hearing aids as well. Look for theaters for hearing impaired in your area.
If I have any issues, I message the audiologist and they can adjust my hearing aids remotely. I guess because they are bluetoothed to my phone and she can access them through that? I don't know, but it works. When I visit once a year, she logs on with her computer, sees everything I did or adjusted and then gives me an audio test with tones while I let her know what I can and can't hear. BTW, my left ear is slightly worse than my right, but only at frequencies very close to my wife's voice. She 'sees' the anomaly and makes adjustments so I don't have to mess with the aids every time my wife is to the left of me.
Pretty cool technology. The aides are rechargeable, no batteries. Servicing them for the consumables is pretty easy considering the meat hooks I have for hands and fingers. Ha!
Oh, and somehow, they help with the tinnitus I have in my ears. Maybe because it's not so quiet with them in, I don't notice it as much as when I'm not wearing them. Since they are bluetooth enabled, I can either pair them up with the TV or my phone. So cool to watch videos and such on my phone without disturbing anyone around me and for watching TV in bed if my wife wants to read a book or go to sleep.

The app is called Oticon Companion if you want to check that out.

One last thing; they were expensive at $3,000 each as I recall. I got them before I went on Medicare, which only covers $500 for hearing aides. My retirement medical covered 100% of all prosthetics and they consider hearing aides prosthetics. All I paid was a $15 copay for the initial hearing exam to determine if I was a candidate for hearing aides. With the law no longer requiring a prescription, perhaps the cost for a pair has gone down too. They are insured; if I lose or damage either or both, they are fully replaced but just once. I lost one wearing my motorcycle helmet. Forgot I had the aides in and one fell out as I either put the helmet on or off. Could not find it. Now they are searchable with my phone app. Just click the tab marked, "Find my hearing aids" and it will track them down. Sort of like when I look for my wife's phone when she's traveling.
Other tabs in the app are;
Update. Just checked, it says no new updates, Current version 1.4.5
Battery notification
Hearing aid details: Model More 1 miniRITE R (there's firmware that matches the Update tab and there's Serial Number, which I won't give out here)
Find My Hearing Aides; uses Google Map on my phone and right now shows they are at my address. I suppose if I misplaced them, I would appreciate that.
You can wear them in rain or showering but not swimming they say.

 

[pollyanna]

I also have Oticon hearing aids and I am very pleased with them. I have had them for about 10 months with no problems. I had originally planned on going to Costco, but I mentioned to my doctor at my wellness visit that I was thinking of looking into hearing aids. She suggested I get a hearing test at with local audiologist and take it from there, which I did. I got an excellent hearing test, and the audiologist lent me hearing aids to try to see how I liked them. I had them for about a month with no problems. I really liked the Oticon, and bought both for $2800. Was really dreading getting used to them, but it was easy. Glad I went with the private audiologist & Oticon.

Skipro33- excellent review!!

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Hopefully I can ask this without distracting too much from the OP's original inquiry... Do any of you that wear hearing aids also have tinnitus? My best friend (a nurse) tells me that I need to have my hearing checked because he thinks I need a hearing aid. I also have tinnitus in one ear. Is there any experience with how hearing aids impact tinnitus and vice versa?

 

[pollyanna]

No, I have never had tinnitus. My audiologist spent quite a lot of time with me, answering my questions and explaining my test results. I had never been to an audiologist and was very impressed. It might help to go to one to get a comprehensive evaluation. Unfortunately, I have heard tinnitus can be difficult to deal with. I hope you can find answers.

 

[mystang52]

I joined Costco solely for the hearing aids, 8 or so years ago. I'm on my second pair. Besides the quality of the hearing aids themselves, the Costco service is superb for occasional maintenace of the eharing aids, ongoing hearing tests, etc.

 

[homestead]

I have tinnitus and wear hearing aids. Thankfully the hearing aids don't amplify the tinnitus since tinnitus is in your brain not your ears. Some brands of hearing aids have masking noises to help. My tinnitus is not too bad and it kind of disappears when I am not thinking about it.

 

[iloveyoga]

I got the Jabra Enhance 700 a few months ago. You do an online hearing test and the aids are preprogrammed. As mentioned earlier they do an online call with you to go over things. They have worked well for me vs previous aids I had purchased. Love the app and how phone calls go direct to the aids and not my phone. Game changer. I purchased for $2,000. A week later the price dropped $200 and they honored the price drop. I also decided I needed longer wires ($75) and they shipped them for free. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Yes! DH has had at least three other pairs, working with an audiologist, and he likes the Jabra better. He thought the on line test was right on. Glad it worked for you too!

 

[Koolau]

DW and I are both overdue for hearing aids. I guess I'm just afraid I'll learn that there are no magic bullets.

I do have tinnitus and most of the time it's not bothersome.

 

[Idnar7]

This is DW responding. Thank you all so much for your suggestions. Excellent input! I do wear my hearing aids all day long so maybe need different ones to address my issues. I do have an appointment in February with an audiologist and ENT. I may have more going on in my left ear than just the hearing loss. I also have tinnitus. I have gone through TruHearing because of BCBS pays a big portion of the cost of the hearing aids. Finding the right hearing aids will be worth the price if a change is needed. Thank you again! Hears to Hearing

 

[savory]

Lots of hearing aid threads. Hopefully this is a good one to hitchhike on.

I am now comparing Costco and AARP UHC plan. I am not set on a brand yet. But, here is what I am considering and my choices. It would be great to get your feedback.

* Costco Offers Jabra Enhance Pro 20 & 30 - UHC offers Jabra 700 (They look very similar to me. Costco being slightly upgraded with AI. Jabra 20 and 30 is sold by Jabra as needing support from a professional the 700 is DIY).
* Pricing virtually identical but $200 rebate ($100 per) from UHC
* Costco 'full'service. UHC is DIY program for fitting, test etc. UHC Offers follow-up phone support.

$200 is definiely worth saving but it may be short sited (perhaps I should say tone deaf) if there is $200 value for the Costco services from the initial test to the follow-up.

For further background, I did have a hearing test when I was on my MA plan about 12 months ago. So, I know I have mild hearing loss from that and the volume of the TV. The free hearing aids are battery and while they help, I hate the battery and I am hoping for better performance vs a free pair.

Thoughts! As always thanks for your time and input.

 

[Koolau]

I'll be watching your choice with interest.

I will likely choose Costco as it's the only place I've heard good things about - especially their guarantee and service. Also, they're in our neighborhood and I've found them reasonably responsive on things other than their hearing aid department.

All the best to you as you make your choice.

 

[braumeister]

One of the most remarkable things about Costco is their warranty. DW lost one of her hearing aids (no idea how that happened), and it was almost two years since she got them.
Went into our nearest Costco store and "No problem". They gave her a new one and programmed it the same as the lost one. Their warranty covered loss as well as damage!
The only thing they asked was that we bring in the old one if we ever found it so they could recycle the parts.

 

[zaqxsw]

I have Philips from Costco. The fitting and additional support was very good. I do not like wearing them as putting them in just gives me mild static. They've been adjusted a couple of times, but it's still a hangup for me. My hearing isn't that bad except for high frequency.

My biggest problem is just not listening!

 

[GoBirds]

Costco. No doubt.

I have the Jabra 10’s from 2023.

I’ve had them sent for repairs quite a few times in the three years and it’s cost nothing.

The repair warranty is for 37 months.

Still on the fence as to why I had so many issues but with my repair warranty ending in April 2026 if these fail again I will not get them repaired and will just buy a new set. Brand to be determined.

 

[Car-Guy]

After years of constant "suggestions" from the DW, for me to at least "try" hearing aids, I finally bought a $300 pair of Audien Atom X Hearing Aids about 6 weeks ago. Best $300 I've spent in a long time. The actaul hearing aids are really worthless, but since I at least tried them, the constant "suggestions" from the DW have toally stopped.

 

[DuluthGA]

Lots of hearing aid threads. Hopefully this is a good one to hitchhike on.

I am now comparing Costco and AARP UHC plan. I am not set on a brand yet. But, here is what I am considering and my choices. It would be great to get your feedback.

* Costco Offers Jabra Enhance Pro 20 & 30 - UHC offers Jabra 700 (They look very similar to me. Costco being slightly upgraded with AI. Jabra 20 and 30 is sold by Jabra as needing support from a professional the 700 is DIY).
* Pricing virtually identical but $200 rebate ($100 per) from UHC
* Costco 'full'service. UHC is DIY program for fitting, test etc. UHC Offers follow-up phone support.

$200 is definiely worth saving but it may be short sited (perhaps I should say tone deaf) if there is $200 value for the Costco services from the initial test to the follow-up.

For further background, I did have a hearing test when I was on my MA plan about 12 months ago. So, I know I have mild hearing loss from that and the volume of the TV. The free hearing aids are battery and while they help, I hate the battery and I am hoping for better performance vs a free pair.

Thoughts! As always thanks for your time and input.

I have the Jabra 500 via UHC. Jabra support has been excellent. They do a video call when you receive them, are responsive to request and have sent our additional items as needed.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Just about any electronic manufacturer can produce hearing aids. A hearing aid is a miniature amplification system with some filters -a well established science. THE KEY POINT is SERVICE. Not so much the repair of the aid but the fitting and orientation to the product. Fitting (testing and HA selection) is best performed by a CCC-A (audiologist). Orientation is the single most important aspect of a successful hearing aid experience. There's learning curve and brain adjustment that must be served. There's no short cut for a new HA user. Expect multiple visits to the dispenser to address this orientation time line. Know your product inside and out before signing off and have reasonable expectations. The HA will never replace your natural hearing but it will aid you. Half the people, new HA users) give up within a month or so and never or seldom use them....Why is that you might ask...they don't know how to use the aid in different listening situations. The aid has programs and that program selection per listening situation must be intuitive before you sign off on the orientation. Take the time and learn the miniature product.

 

[Flyfish1]

Just remember hearing is not the same as understanding speech. An actual good hearing test has a component called the Speech Discrimination score, expressed as a percentage. If that number is poor then even the best hearing aid in the world may not allow that person to easily understand speech.

 

[savory]

Just remember hearing is not the same as understanding speech. An actual good hearing test has a component called the Speech Discrimination score, expressed as a percentage. If that number is poor then even the best hearing aid in the world may not allow that person to easily understand speech.

Does anyone know if Costco's test include a speech discrimination analysis?